Big Stir Records and SpyderPop Records proudly announce a unique music and rock literature event and release: GENERATION BLUE, a Limited-Edition Vinyl LP Compilation and Oral History Book curated and edited by S.W. Lauden. The album and book together explore the Hollywood Geek Rock scene of the '90s and early 2000s, featuring key bands NERF HERDER, OZMA, BABY LEMONADE, PSOMA and many others. Previewed by the hit indie single “Where The Hell Is She,” a lost Geek Rock nugget by the band SHUFFLEPUCK, the album features eleven rare or exclusive vintage tracks while the book tells the story of the scene in the words of those who were there—including Lauden who played drums for the band RIDEL HIGH. The LP/Book package is up for presale exclusively at Big Stir Records' online points of sale and sees release April 26 as its tracks hit all digital platforms worldwide.
What is “Geek Rock”? On the GENERATION BLUE album and in its companion book, we travel back to 1990s Hollywood, the birthplace of the alternative music subgenre often tagged with that name. That’s where bands like Shufflepuck, Supersport 2000, Cockeyed Ghost, Nerf Herder, Ridel High, Chopper One, Ozma, Psoma and many others built a thriving scene that flourished for almost a decade across Southern California clubs and two annual pop music festivals. The term Geek Rock had been used before to describe everybody from Frank Zappa to They Might Be Giants, but it became a pop culture phenomenon in the early ‘90s largely thanks to a 1994 Entertainment Weekly review of Weezer’s self-titled debut album (now universally known as The Blue Album, from which Generation Blue borrows its title). The article bore the headline “The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth” and it began:
Weezer? The name conjures up images of high school losers with runny noses and head colds, not MTV's hottest new Buzz band. But with the out-of-nowhere success of "Undone—The Sweater Song" that’s exactly what the L.A. foursome has become. Don’t think they’re not recovering geeks, though.
It’s definitely true that The Blue Album’s influence can be heard across the global rock universe over the last 30 years, but that impact was most immediate in the local Hollywood music scene (and the satellite scene 100 miles north in Santa Barbara). Some of those musicians and bands came up in the clubs alongside Weezer, while others took cues from their songwriting, sound, look and approach to create something of their own. “There were certainly other music scenes happening around LA at the time – it’s a sprawling metropolis with hundreds of active bands at any given moment, especially back then – but the impact of Weezer's first album in the mid-’90s was undeniable,” Lauden writes in the introduction the Generation Blue book.
“Given how unlikely Weezer’s potential was back then, it might seem surprising that so many of the bands featured here chose to follow in their footsteps in one way or another. But if you were there and saw how this band of misfits found their way to success on their own terms, it makes perfect sense,” Karl Koch, often referred to as “the fifth member of Weezer,” writes in the Foreword to the Generation Blue oral history. “This fragile thing that we had built and nurtured in a Westside garage had taken on a life of its own and produced some truly fantastic music, much of which is featured on the compilation that accompanies this oral history.”
It was a proven blueprint that resulted in more than a few major label record contracts, coveted opening slots for Weezer tours, and radio and MTV airplay…until it all inevitably fell apart for all but a lucky few. With the release of Generation Blue, author/musician S.W. Lauden (aka Steve Coulter, drummer for Ridel High and subsequently Tsar and The Brothers Steve) partnered with Big Stir Records and SpyderPop Records to share the long-lost music and fascinating stories from Hollywood’s bygone Geek Rock era.
“This oral history and the accompanying compilation is my attempt to capture the spirit, energy and music of the magical Hollywood scene I experienced first-hand in the ‘90s while playing drums for Ridel High. In many ways, it serves as a companion piece to the Popsicko Off to a Bad Start vinyl reissue and oral history we released in 2023,” Lauden told us. “I’m incredibly excited to share these stories and fantastic songs with fans of hooky alternative rock driven by crunchy guitars and pounding drums. The Blue Album turns 30 this year, so it felt like the right time to shine a spotlight on a few of the SoCal bands that album inspired.”
Other musicians and industry insiders featured in the oral history include Matt Sharp (Weezer/The Rentals), Jason Cropper (Weezer/Chopper One), Joe Sib (Comedian/Wax/SideOneDummy Records), Bryan Ray Turcotte (Black Market Flowers), Rachel Haden (That Dog), Kevin Ridel (Lunchbox/Ridel High/AM Radio), Jon Pikus (El Magnifico/Campfire Girls), Rod Cervera (Supersport 2000/The Rentals), Adam Orth (Shufflepuck), Mike Randle (Baby Lemonade/Love), Parry Gripp (Nerf Herder), J.C. Brandy (Lunchbox/Lo Ball), Daniel Brummel (Ozma), Darren Robinson (Phantom Planet), Jose Galvez (Ozma), Linus Dotson (Size 14/Nerf Herder), Todd Sullivan (Geffen Records), Marko DeSantis (Popsicko/My Records), Lawrence Mann (Poptopia), Liz Garo (Restless Records), and many more.
The two sides of the LP, pressed in a strictly limited edition and bundled with the book, immerse the listener in a sound that's immediately identifiable as the heavy pop side of '90s alternative rock, but one that's also surprisingly, delightfully fresh. Many of the tracks are never-before-released (on vinyl, at the very least) or alternate versions of previous releases (including “Touch My Fuzz,” “Self-Destructive” and “Broken Tooth”), suggesting a vision of the decade that might have been: one with bigger and better hooks and a much healthier sense of humor than what's heard on today's grocery store playlists of late century rock-hits-that-actually-were. That literally alternative sound of the '90s rings through in the singalong crunch of CHOPPER ONE's "Touch My Fuzz" and SHUFFLEPUCK's "Where The Hell Is She," the sugary snarl of BABY LEMONADE's "Pop Tarte," and the amped up SoCal sunshine pop of COCKEYED GHOST's "Keep The Sun" and OZMA's "No One Need To Know". And it's embodied in the sheer glee of NERF HERDER's "We Opened For Weezer," which serves as an anthem for the record as a whole.
That's the joy of Geek Rock... and in the 21st Century, with geeks having arguably inherited the earth, these songs and stories stand ready to be discovered by a whole new generation, while being savored by those who were there and remember. GENERATION BLUE is both a soundtrack and a guidebook for them all.
credits
released April 26, 2024
Various Artists: GENERATION BLUE
Vinyl LP and Book Package / Digital, April 26, 2024
Big Stir Records / SpyderPop Records BSR-0104
NOTE: The Limited Edition physical release of GENERATION BLUE is comprised of the full compilation on a blue vinyl LP in a standard jacket with a full color insert, bundled with the book GENERATION BLUE: An Oral History Of The Hollywood Geek Rock Scene In The 1990s & 2000s edited by S.W. Lauden. The bundle will be exclusively available through Big Stir Records' online points of sale on the street date as the album tracks begin streaming on all digital platforms. The LP and book will be available separately at a later in 2024.
Compilation Curated by S.W. Lauden/Steve Coulter
Produced by Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome
Executive Produced by Alan Petsche
Mastered by Carl Saff
Cover & Sleeve Design by John Lathrop
TRACK LIST:
Side One
1. Shufflepuck: Where The Hell Is She (3:20)
2. Baby Lemonade: Pop Tarte (4:11)
3. Supersport 2000: Mooks (3:08)
4. Campfire Girls: Broken Tooth (DeLongpre Version) (4:30)
5. Cockeyed Ghost: Keep The Sun (3:19)
6. Chopper One: Touch My Fuzz (2024) (2:36)
Side Two
1. Nerf Herder: We Opened For Weezer (4:29)
2. Ridel High: Self Destructive (Demo) (3:17)
3. Ozma: No One Needs To Know (4:07)
4. Psoma: Never The Same (3:26)
5. AM Radio: Hush (3:16)
Liner notes and individual track credits continued on next page.
GENERATION BLUE Liner Notes by S.W. Lauden:
Music scenes spring up, make some righteous noise, and eventually die out. Most last for a year or two and have little impact outside of their geographic region, while a special few – London and New York punk in the '70s, Seattle grunge in the '90s, etc. -- explode onto the world stage to forever leave their mark.
In the ‘90s, Los Angeles was the birthplace of an alternative music subgenre called "geek rock." Although the term is loosley used to describe a variety of iconoclastic artists over the decades, it was Weezer’s self-titled debut album – aka The Blue Album, as it’s affectionately known by generations of dedicated fans – that delivered the term into mainstream consciousness at the end of the Millennium.
It’s definitely true that Weezer’s influence can be heard across the global rock universe in the last 30 years, but that impact was most immediate and pronounced in ‘90s Los Angeles, the city that was their launching pad. Some of those bands influenced Weezer early on or came up in the clubs alongside them. Others took cues from Weezer’s songwriting, sound, look and approach to create something of their own. The result was a vibrant local geek rock scene that flourished for almost a decade (even if many of the bands never fully embraced the “geek rock” descriptor).
“Given how unlikely Weezer’s potential was back then, it might seem surprising that so many of the bands featured here chose to follow in their footsteps in one way or another. But if you were there and saw how this band of misfits found their way to success on their own terms, it makes perfect sense,” Karl Koch writes in the forward to the oral history book that accompanies this compilation. Koch is often referred to as the “fifth member of Weezer,” holding a number of critical behind-the-scenes roles with the band including photographer, webmaster, historian, archivist and president of the legendary Weezer Fan Club.
“Weezer's impact on the Hollywood music scene in the '90s and early 2000s was undeniable. And whenever we were in town between tours in the months and years following that initial success, it was more and more obvious that the scene was rapidly changing, creating something beautiful that was unrecognizable to anyone who remembered what it was like just a few short years earlier. This fragile thing that we had built and nurtured in a Westside garage had taken on a life of its own and produced some truly fantastic music, much of which is featured on the compilation.”
This compilation and the oral history book are the result of a collective effort to capture the spirit, energy and sound of that long gone era. These songs and stories celebrate the thriving guitar pop scene these bands built, the clubs and pop festivals they played, the impact they had, and most importantly, the fantastic songs they wrote and recorded – whether you’ve heard them before or not.
Special thanks to all of the talented musicians and bands that contributed tracks to this compilation, and to everybody who provided quotes for the oral history. A huge thank you to Karl Koch and Justin Fisher who were both there from the beginning and provided crucial feedback and guidance at every step along the way. To Matt Sharp for his invaluable insights, and Daniel Brummel for being an early and enthusiastic supporter of this project. Big thanks to Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome at Big Stir Records who helped bring this project to life. And, finally, to Mike Randle for introducing me to The Blue Album in 1994.
And thanks to you for taking this down memory lane with all of us.
-S.W. Lauden
February 2024
Track By Track Credits
Side One:
1. Shufflepuck: Where The Hell Is She
Written by Adam Orth
Performed by Shufflepuck: Ed Alexander: Bass. Justin Fisher: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals. Keith Fallis: Drums. Adam Orth: Lead and Backing Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitars.
Recorded at Record Plant LA and 4th St Recording Santa Monica. Produced by Jim Wirt and Adam Orth. Engineered by James Saez. Mixed by David Bianco. Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Marcussen Mastering
2. Baby Lemonade: Pop Tarte
Written by Mike Randle & Rusty Squeezebox
Produced by Rusty Squeezebox. Engineered by Rusty and David Green. Recorded at Side Burns Studio on 16-track tape Summer 1996.
David Chapple: Bass, background vocals. Mike Randle: Lead Guitar, Lead Vocal. Rusty Squeezebox: Guitar, background vocals. David Green: Drums.
Executive Producer: Long Gone John.
3. Supersport 2000: Mooks
Music by Rod Cervera. Lyrics by Rod Cervera & Cherielynn Westrich.
Recorded and produced by Rod Cervera. Rod Cervera: Guitars and vocals. Cherielynn Westrich: Bass and vocals. Mike Fletcher: Drums. Graciela Germann: Guitar.
4. Campfire Girls: Broken Tooth
Written by Christian Stone, Andrew Clark, Jon Pikus
Christian Stone: Guitar, Vocals. Andrew Clark: Bass. Jon Pikus: Drums.
Recorded in 1994 by John Hanlon at Delongpre. Produced by John Hanlon and Campfire Girls. Mastered by Alan Yoshida at A&M.
5. Cockeyed Ghost: Keep The Sun
Written by Adam Marsland.
Adam Marsland: Vocals Guitar. Rob Cassell: Vocals, Bass. Paul "Wally" Presson: Drums, Vocals.
6. Chopper One: Touch My Fuzz
Written by Jason Cropper and Amy Cropper
All music performed by Jason Cropper.
Side Two:
1. Nerf Herder: We Opened For Weezer
Written by Parry Gripp
Ben Pringle: Bass, Background Vocals. Linus Dotson: Guitar, Background Vocals. Parry Gripp: Vocals, Guitar. Steve Sherlock: Drums. Mixed by Jay Ruston.
2. Ridel High: Self Destructive (Demo)
Written by Kevin Ridel, Stephen Leroy & Steve Coulter
Performed by Ridel High
3. Ozma: No One Needs To Know
Written by Daniel Brummel
Daniel Brummel: Lead Vocals, Bass. Patrick Edwards: Drums). Jose Galvez: Guitar, Backing Vocals. Ryen Slegr: Vocals, Lead Guitar. Star Wick: Keyboards.Produced & engineered by Bruce Witkin at Pop Squad Studios, Hollywood CA (2001)
4. Psoma: Never The Same
Written and performed by Psoma: Marc Blitstein, Justin Fisher, Pete Novitch, Iain Wade.
5. AM Radio: Hush
Written by Kevin Ridel
Performed by AM Radio.
The metal’s band revelatory new record crosses genres and styles, effortlessly combining seemingly incompatible subgenres. Bandcamp Album of the Day Apr 26, 2024
